Scythe



(No'fiodeL) G. FREDRIGKSON' SCYTHE.

Patented Jan. 28

lm Ewilf a pcy/ ATTORNEYS.

- I WITNESSES: 7 @od.

NlTE STATES ATENT Fries.

CHRISTIAN FREDRICKSON, OF CAMERON, lVISCONSIN.

SCYTHE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 553,? 31 dated January 28, 1896. Application filed August 26, 1895. Serial No. 560,564. (No model.)

To call whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN FREDRICK- SON, of Cameron, in the county of Barron and State of lVisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Scythes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in scythes; and the object of the invention is to provide a means whereby th e heel of the scythe will be materially strengthened, and, furthermore, to provide a gage for the heel portion of the scythe and for the contacting portion of the snath, which will enable the operator to adjust the blade of the scythe at any desired inclination to the snath; and a further object of the invention is to provide for an adjustment between the blade and snath of a brush, a cradle or a hay-scythe.

The invention consists in the novel construction andcombination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference inclicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan View of a portion of the scythe-blade and aportion of the snath, illustrating the manner in which they are connected. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, illustrating more clearly the connection between the scythe blade and snath. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the plate adapted for interlocking engagement with the scythe-blade and for attachment to the snath. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the plate shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan View of the heel portion of the scytheblade. Fig. 6 is a bottom plan View of the same, and Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the bolt adapted to attach the adj listing-plate to the snath.

In carrying out the invention, at the heel of the scythe-blade upon its upper surface an annular toothed rib 10 is formed, and within the space surrounded by the said annular toothed rib a transverse slot 11 is made in the heel. In fact the toothed rib 10 on the scytheheel is virtually a clutch-surface. On the under face of the scythe-heel recesses 12 are made, as shown in Fig. 6, which are located at opposite sides of the central portion of the slot 11 and are at right angles thereto.

A plate B (shown in Figs. 3 and 4) is adapted for direct connection with the scythe-blade. This plate is of substantially circular shape at one of its ends, or that end which is to be carried over the heel of the scythe, and on the under face of this circular portion of the plate a circular rib 13 is formed, toothed as shown in Fig. 3, and forming a clutch-surface adapted for interlocking engagement with the corresponding surface 10 on the upperportion of the heel of the scythe.

The snath C of the scythe is adapted to rest upon the upper face of a portion of the aforesaid'plate B, which may be termed the adjusting-plate and at the outer or upper end of the aforesaid adjusting-plate a transverse slot 14 is produced. As illustrated in Fig. 3, teeth 15 are provided at each side of the aforesaid slot. This slot is adapted to receive the squared portion-of a bolt 16, the head 17 of the bolt being provided with teeth 18 upon its upper face to engage with the teeth 15 at the sides of the slot in the adj usting-plate B. This bolt is passed through the snath of the scythe, and its upper end is provided with a lock-nut 19, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7.

The upper face of the adjusting=plate B is preferably fiat, as illustrated in Fig. 4, an opening 20 being provided at the center of the annular clutch 13 for the passage of a second bolt 21. The head 22 of this bolt is of elongated form, and after it has been passed through the elongated slot 11 in the heel of the scythe it is turned, as shown in Fig. 2, to enter the recesses 12 at each side of the afore said opening. The bolt 21 is then passed through the opening 20 in the adj listing-plate, the clutch 13 of which plate has previously been brought in engagement with the clutch 10 at the heel portion of the scythe; and the bolt is then passed through a sleeve 23, having a fiat under face resting upon the upper heel portion of the adj Listing-plate and a semicircular upper surface; and the said bolt is likewise passed through the lower end of the snath G, which had previously been snugly fitted in the sleeve 23, as shown in Fig. 2; and, finally, alock-nut 24 is placed upon the upper end of the locking-bolt 21. It will thus be observed that by loosening the bolt 21 at the heel of the scythe the blade of the scythe may be adjusted at any desired angle to the snath, and when the clutch 13 of the adjusting plate attached to the snath is brought in proper registry with the clutch 10 on the scythe-blade the bolt 21 is at once tightened up and the blade is securely fastened to the snath. It is further evident that under this construction the heel of the scytheblade is materially strengthened and the maj or portion of the strength of the blade should be at this point.

The blade may be readily disconnected from the snath by loosening the connectingbolt 21, turning the same, and bringing its head 22 in registry with the elongated slot 11. at the heel of the scythe.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentp 1. The combination of a scythe-blade, having a clutch-s11 rface at its heel portion, an adj Listing-plate provided at its lower end with a clutch-surfaee engaging that of the blade, the adj Listing-plate having at its upper end a slot and teeth upon its under face at each side of said slot, a sleeve mounted to turn upon the upper face of the lower or heel portion of the ad justin gplate, and adapted to receive the snath, means for securing the snath, sleeve, adj usting-plate, and' scythe-blade together at the heel portion of the blade, and a bolt passed through the slot in the adjusting-plate and the snath, the head of the bolt having teeth adapted to engage those at the sides of the slot of the adjusting-plate, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a scythe-blade having an opening in the heel portion thereof and provided with an annular clutch-surface around said opening in the heel and recesses in its under face at each side of the said opening, an adj Listing-plate provided with openings in its lower end and a clutch-surface upon its under face surrounding said opening and adapted for engagement with the clutch-surface of the scythe-blade, the said adjusting-plate at its upper end being provided with a slot, and teeth upon its under face at each side of the said slot, of a sleeve mounted to turn upon the upper face of the lower or heel portion of the adjusting-plate, a snath having its lower end secured in said sleeve, a locking-bolt provided with an elongated head adapted to enter the recesses in the under face of the scythe-blade, being passed upward through the openings in the said blade and in the adjusting-plate, and through openings in the sleeve and that portion of the snath entering the sleeve, and a bolt passed through the opening in the adjusting-plate having the surrounding teeth, the said bolt being likewise passed through the snath, and the head of the bolt being provided with teeth adapted to engage with the teeth surrounding the opening through which. 

